Select Cases Conscience Touching Witches and Witchcrafts, Question 5
5. Caſe. What are the Signes and Markes of a Witch, whereby ſuch an one may be rightly diſcerned, and ſo cenſured?
SIgnes of a Witch are either true or falſe; right or wrong: And this is a ſigne that Ignorant and ill men have preſumed to judg and cenſure here, as well as others; Nay, in that the received ſignes or markes are more falſe then true; more ſtrong then right; it is a ſigne that ſuch kind of men have beene more forward to cenſure here then others. For as the men were, ſo were their Markes either more or leſſe adviſed. Amidſt which variety, let me here diſtinguiſh of ſome unwarrantable, ſome probable, and ſome more infallible.
1. Some Marks, or Tokens of Tryall altogether unwarrantatable; as proceeding from Ignorance, humor, ſuperſtitiō; ſuch are, 1 The old paganiſh ſign, the Witches long eyes. 2 The Tradition of the witches not weeping. 3 The Witches making il favored faces & mū bling. 4 To burn the thing bewitched, &c. (I am loath to ſpeak out, leſt I might teach theſe in reproving them.) 5 The burning of the thatch of the Witches houſe, &c. 6. The heating of the horſeſhoe, &c. 7. The ſcalding water, &c. 8. The ſticking of knifes acroſſe, &c. 9 The putting of ſuch and ſuch things under the Threſhhold, and in the Bedſtraw, &c. 10 The ſeive and the ſheares, &c. 11 The caſting the Witch into the water with thumbes & toes tyed acroſs, &c. 12. The tying of knots, &c. If theſe (or the like) be ſigns, to try and know a Witch by; certainly it can be no other Witch but the uſer of them. And if it bee objected, that the expected Effect hath followed hereupon; I anſwer, that may be done by the Devil, not for the Witches convictions, but to nouriſh the other in their ſuperſtitiō. To all theſe I cannot but adde one at large, wch I have lately learnt; partly frō ſome cōmunication I had wth one of the Witchſinders (as they call them) partly from the confeſſion (which I heard of a ſuſpected & a Committed witch ſo handled as ſhe ſaid, & partly as the countrey-people talk of it. Having taken the ſuſpected Witch, ſhee is placed in the middle of a room upon a ſtool, or Table, croſſe legg'd, or in ſome other uneaſie poſture, to which if ſhe ſubmits not, ſhe is then bound with cords, there is ſhe watcht & kept without meat or ſleep for the ſpace of 24. hours. For (they ſay) within that time they ſhall ſee her Impe come and ſuck; a little hole is likewiſe made in the door for the Impe to come in at: and leſt it might come in ſome leſſe diſcernible ſhape, they that watch are taught to be ever & anon ſweeping the room, and if they ſee any ſpiders or flyes, to kill them. And if they cannot kill them, then they may be ſure they are her Impes. If this be true, how ſhould it trouble us, that an invention or practiſe of ſo much folly & ſuperſtition ſhould ariſe amidſt ſo cleare a light of the Goſpell? But as to the killing of the Imp, let mee further inform them, that if the Imp be of a wafted & condenſed ayr, it cannot be killd, becauſe it never had life: But if it bee a very Cat or Dogge, &c. only poſſeſſed with the Devill, it may be kild: And I have heard a Committed Witch confeſſe, that ſhe kild one time her dog, another time her Cat (both her imps) for going out & doing ſo much miſchief againſt her wil.
2. Some ſigns probable, yet not ſo certaine as to ſerve for the Witches Conviction. Such are, 1. Strong and long ſuſpition. 2. Suſpected Anceſtors. 3. Bare Confeſſion. 4. Some Appearance of Fact. 5. The corps bleeding upon the Witches touch. 6. The teſtimony of the party bewitched. 7. The ſuppoſed witches unuſual bodily marks. 8 The witches uſual curſing & banning. 9. The witches lewd & naughty kind of life.
3. Some more infallible and certaine ſignes. As. 1. Declining Iudieature, or Faltering, faulty, unconſtant and contrary Anſwers; upon judiciall and deliberate examination. 2. When by a true examination (of Faith and Mannrs) there are found all or moſt of the cauſes fore-ſpoken of. viz. God Deſerting, the Devill invading, particular ſins diſpoſing; and the Compact compleating. 3. The Witches free Confeſſion, together with full Evidence of the Fact. For Confeſſion without Fact, may be a meer deluſiō; & Fact without Confeſſion, may be but a meer accidēt. 4. The ſemblable Geſtures and demeanures of Witches, with Comparable expreſſions of paſſions and affections, which in all Witches (of all Times and Places) have been obſerved and found to be very much alike. 5. The Teſtimony of the party bewitched, (whether pining or Dying) together with the joynt Oaths of ſufficient perſons that have ſeene certain prodigious prankes or feates, wrought by the party accuſed. 6. Haunting the houſes or companyes of notorious Witches, and eſpecially frequenting their nightly meeting. 7. Whom other notorious Witches have impeached to be as ill as themſelves. 8. If noted for long diſ-frequenting & neglecting the Church, or Congregation; the word preached, and Sacrament adminiſtred. 9. If it can be proved that ſuch an one hath allured or inticed others to witchcraft. 10. A maligning & oppugning the Word, Work, and Worſhip of God: and by any extraordinary ſigne, ſeeking to pervert and ſeduce any from it. Deut. 13. 1. 2. Mat. 24. 24. Acts 13. 8. 10. 2 Tim. 3. 8. Do but …arke well the places, and for this very propertie (of thus oppoſing and perverting) they are all there concluded to be arrant and abſolute Witches.
Now to guide the Conſcience in diſcerning and cenſuring; where the ſignes & notes (one with another) of the laſt ſort are found; there (as touching the Witch) it may ſafely be pronounced and proclaimed. Where thoſe of the ſecond only are; there may bee ſome ſuſpition or eſtimation, and that irreprehenſible. But wher no note of Tryal is to be found, ſave only thoſe of the firſt ſort, there it is egregious Calumny, and inf…y irreparable. We therefore approve of the laſt, admit of the ſecond, but altogether condemn the firſt. Yet (as touching the ſecond) there is need of ſome Caution, becauſe it is much upon ſuſpition. (And all ſuſpition whatſoever, cannot be but unſafe to Conſcience, if it want the due Caveats) What Conſcience then can here bee in common people that are carryed away not onelyonly with ſuſpition but ſuperſtition? Every poore and peeviſh olde Creature (ſuch is their Ignorance and Uncharitableneſſe) cannot but fall under their ſuſpition, nay their infamous exprobation; every Accident, (more then ordinary) every diſeaſe whereof they neither underſtand the Cauſe, nor are acquainted with the Symptomes) muſt bee ſuſpected for witch-craft. His Cow or his Hog, cannot be ſtrangely taken, but ſtraight it muſt bee reckoned and rumored for bewitcht. And now their ill will to the next neighbouring ſilly Creature, muſt peremptorily taxe her ill will (in the worſt ſenſe) for the only cauſe of all. A bare Caſualty, or accidental effect (eſpecially if any thing touches them in their owne particular) ſhall now bee to them a more ſure and certaine Token of the Witch, then all the marks that Learning and Experience ſpeakes of beſides. And there's no ſtaving them off their owne conceited way of Tryall, though it bee never ſo unwarrantable, never ſo unlawfull. And but to adviſe them to prudence and Conſcience in ſuch a caſe; is to be reputed and reported, a Patron, a Pleader, a Favourer and a Fleſher of Witches. But men that are either conſcientious or judicious, will not eaſily harbour a ſuſpition (either in this or any other thing) unleſs it bee from ſome very ſhrewd ſignes, probable reaſon, frequent Experience: nor will they lightly admit of any report (bee it never ſo old, ſo common) unleſſe it bee alſo from the well reported.